A quick search of the internet will show that websites that claim to show the historical proof of the bible. Various people have found Noah’s Ark in various places around the mid-east. The Ark of the Covenant has purportedly been found as have so many items or places that would reflect the accuracy of the bible. Is there really anything to all this?
The answer is simple: it’s all in what you want to believe. If you have faith in the bible then you will likely hold tight to many of these “discoveries”. A non-believer might just shrug it off as biblical propaganda. But there is much more to it than just those two perspectives.
You have to take a look at just who it is that are making the discoveries. Are they true archaeologists from accredited schools and research institutes or are they adventurers, television hosts and members of a police swat team? The answer to this question is very important. If the first announcement of an amazing discovery comes on a television show and is produced by a movie producer then you might just want to worry.
You should worry because if the discovery was actually made by the swat team member and not by a true archaeologist then you just might have an issue. The issue comes from the discovers not having any real background in archaeology, instead one might have some degrees in religious studies. That does not qualify one to go looking for anything remotely archaeological. He might well be able to teach you about the bible but he is no position to do any archaeological work, none whatsoever.
There is also a fellow that has discovered so many, many things. He has found the Garden of Eden, the Ark of the Covenant and other things and places. But just who is this man? What is his background? He must be an archaeologist of great note, well, not so much; he is a financial advisor. That’s right; he really knows nothing about archaeology except what he has gleaned himself by reading a book or 2.
“Throughout much of the 19th century, the field of biblical archeology was dominated by men said to have been working with a Bible in one hand and a trowel in the other.” This is how Eric H. Cline has described early archaeological attempts in the mid-east. It would be very easy to look at many of those today in the same light.
They use the bible to guide their searching and if evidence does not conform to the bible then they toss out that evidence and continue looking to try and confirm the bible by using the bible and not science.
When someone tosses science out the window then you have problems with your so-called research and your conclusions. So what is a person to believe? Well, regardless of your religious affiliations it is imperative to go with the science. It may not give you the answers you want but it will give you the truth.
So as of this writing it should be noted that none of the so-called archaeological finds made by those with no training in scientific archaeology can be verified by science. Have we truly found the Garden of Eden? The Tower of Babel? Noah’s ark? No, only in the minds of those who know no better.
Resources:
http://www.badarchaeology.net/biblical/index.php
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/09/30/raiders_of_the_faux_ark/?page=full
http://www.baseinstitute.org/
http://www.biblemysteries.com/index.htm
http://home.gwu.edu/~ehcline/index.html
